A fresh crop of facts about our favourite sweet treats
From windswept hills to sheltered clearings, rocky barrens to soggy bogs, each year Newfoundland and Labrador is bountiful with berries. Whether you’re picking them fresh from the wild or savouring them in homemade jams and desserts, Newfoundland berries offer a taste of the island’s rugged beauty and warm, welcoming spirit. Grab a bucket and join us on a sweet adventure.
Blueberry
Several types of blueberries grow here, but the most common is probably the lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium). Locals might suggest looking for blueberries in areas where the lumber industry has recently gone and logged all the trees. This is because blueberries like to grow in loose, well-drained, acidic soils with a high content of organic matter. The best time to get out and forage for these beauties is late August to September. Snack on them fresh, or try them in a classic favourite like blueberry duff or jam, or sip a chilled glass of blueberry wine. Head to Brigus for the town’s Blueberry Festival each August.
Partridgeberry
Partridgeberries (Mitchella repens) are called Lingonberries in other parts of the world. They tend to be tart and slightly sweet in flavour and are used to make jam, sauce, wine and baked goods. The best time to pick partridgeberries is after the first frost, normally in late October or early November in high-elevation locations because the frost brings out the berry’s sweet flavour. Fresh-picked partridgeberries were traditionally stored in a barrel of water in the cellar or on a porch. In the 1950s, Fogo Island’s Earle & Son Ltd. was marketing canned lingonberry sauce “from the windswept hills of Newfoundland.”
Check out the Fogo Island partridgeberry harvest festival in October and be sure to try a piece of Lassy Tart – a classic recipe including molasses in the pastry and partridgeberry filling.
Bakeapple
Bakeapples sell for a surprisingly high price. Surprising, that is, if you’ve never gone bakeapple picking. Generally ready for harvest between mid-August and September, this golden-orange berry grows scattered in bogs and wetlands, making each bucketful a labour of love. Some of the best places to pick are on the Great Northern Peninsula, and you’ll find freezers full from Port au Choix to L’Anse aux Meadows. Bakeapples (Rubus chamaemorus), also known as cloudberries and by other names throughout the world, have a somewhat sweet-tart flavour and are usually used to make jams and spreads for desserts. Try a drizzle of bakeapple spread on a slice of cheesecake for a heavenly treat.
Strawberry
Wild strawberries (Fragaria virginiana), are among the earliest berries to start ripening around here, springing out in sunny spots as early as mid-July. They can be found throughout Newfoundland – notably in the area around the Humber Valley, where, after the Second World War, returning soldiers and their brides settled the area, cleared the woods and set up farms. Wild strawberries are a delicious addition to any summer dessert, and there are many U-pick locations from Cormack to Campbellton where you can pick your own. Strawberries can spoil quickly, so put them in the fridge right away. Wait to wash them until right before you eat them because they’ll last longer. Head to Deer Lake in July for the Strawberry Festival – one of the longest-running festivals in the province.
Raspberry and Blackberry
On the south coast, you will find sandy loam soils that are highly fertile with great drainage, ideal for growing raspberries (Rubus idaeus), and blackberries (Rubus fruticosus). We recommend setting out in search of these berries anytime from late July to late August, but be sure to wear long pants to avoid thorns. Sweet and bursting with flavour, they taste great when eaten fresh, made into a jam or jelly, or used in any variety of baked goods.
